The Prince - 05
Those who came recognizing the difficulty of these
two opposing humours, were inclined to give satisfaction to
the soldiers, caring little about injuring the people.
Hatred is acquired as much by good works as by bad ones, therefore,
as I said before, a prince wishing to keep his state is very
often forced to do evil; (？？)
A prince has only to be careful not to do any grave injury to those
whom(荆轲) he employs or has around him in the service of the state.
------20：论要塞和其他因素的重要程度
1.Some princes, so as to hold securely the state, have
disarmed缴械 their subjects; others have kept their subject
towns distracted by factions; others have fostered培养 enmities
against themselves; others have laid themselves out to gain
over those whom they distrusted in the beginning of their
governments; some have built fortresses; some have
overthrown and destroyed them.
2.There never was a new prince who has disarmed his subjects.
By arming them, those arms become yours, those men who were
distrusted become faithful, and those who were faithful are kept so,
p121武装与缴械的合理方式
3. I do not believe that factions派系(内hong) can
ever be of use; rather it is certain that when the enemy comes
upon you in divided cities you are quickly lost, because the
★weakest party will always assist the outside forces and the
other will not be able to resist.
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such methods for enabling one
the more easily to manage subjects are only useful in times
of peace, but if war comes this policy proves fallacious.
4.a wise prince, when
he has the opportunity, ought with craft技艺 to foster some
animosity敌意 against himself, so that, having crushed it, his
renown名望 may rise higher.
5.★★★Princes, especially new ones, have found more fidelity忠诚 and
assistance in those men who in the beginning of their rule
were distrusted than among those who in the beginning were trusted.
★★★It is easier for the prince to make friends of those men
who were contented under the former government, and are
therefore his enemies, than of those who, being discontented
with it(former government), were favourable to有利于 him and
encouraged him to seize it.
6.the prince who has more to fear from
the people than from foreigners ought to build fortresses要塞,
but he who has more to fear from foreigners than from the
people ought to leave them alone.
★★★The best possible fortress is—not to be hated
by the people, because, although you may hold the fortresses,
yet they will not save you if the people hate you, for there
will never be wanting foreigners to assist a people who have
taken arms against you.
All these things considered then, I shall praise him who builds
fortresses as well as him who does not, and I shall blame whoever,
trusting in them, cares little about being hated by the people.
-----------21 君主获得声望的措施
a prince ought, above all things, always endeavour in every
action to gain for himself the reputation of being a great and
remarkable man.
A prince is also ★respected when he is either a true friend
or a downright enemy, that is to say, when, without any reservation,
he declares himself in favour of★支持 one party against the other;
which course will always be more advantageous than standing neutral;
(because if two of your powerful neighbours come to blows, they are
of such a character that, if one of them conquers, you have either to
fear him or not. )
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because, in the first case, if you do not declare yourself, you will
invariably fall a prey掠夺 to the conqueror, to the pleasure and
satisfaction of him who has been conquered, and you will
have no reasons to offer, nor anything to protect or to shelter you.
Because he who conquers does not want doubtful
friends who will not aid him in the time of trial; and he who
loses will not harbour庇护 you because you did not willingly,
sword in hand, court his fate.
★★★It will always happen that he who is not your friend will
demand your neutrality, whilst he who is your friend will entreat乞求
you to declare yourself with arms.
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And irresolute★无决断的 princes, to avoid present
dangers, generally follow the neutral path, and are generally ruined.
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But when a prince declares himself gallantly勇敢大胆地 in
favour of one side, if the party with whom he allies himself conquers,
although the victor may be powerful and may
have him at his mercy, yet he is indebted负债的/受惠的 to him, and there
is established a bond of amity亲善关系; and men are never so shameless
as to become a monument of ingratitude忘恩负义的 by oppressing you.
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if he with whom you ally yourself loses, you may be sheltered by
him, and whilst he is able he may aid you, and you become
companions on a fortune that may rise again.
